O primeiro amor de Vitória / "Vitória's first love".
Loop walks to school. He walks in the front door, seeing that lot of cubs still in the halls, playing and talking. He walks imposingly down the corridors, catching the attention of the other cubs.
- Who is it? - They asked.
No one had seen Loop before. He nods at his "peers," who did not even suspect that someone so young was about to become their teacher.
Baltasar notices Loop approaching in the corridors. The rabbit's tummy, the thighs, the butt, the cheeks, even Loop's arms were sweet. Baltasar sighed at length and walked to Loop, bending over to greet him:
- Hi, Loop! I did not know you were so ... baby-looking.
Loop giggles.
Yeah, I always get that compliment when I walk into a school, but it's the first time I get it from a male - Loop said.
Come, I'll take you to the teachers' room.
Loop and Baltasar go to the teachers' room, where Cid is. Loop puts two books in the chair where he would sit and climbs, almost painfully, the chair with the books, so that he can look at Cid, who is also sitting at the table.
This law of notorious knowledge is shit, is it not? - comments Cid.
Well, I'm a notorious cub - Loop said. - Where's my classroom?
Here, let me show you - Baltasar says, taking Loop in his arms and showing him a timetable glued to the wall.
Loop felt a little uncomfortable in being embraced by Baltasar. He looked at the table and saw where he would give his biology classes.
- Thank you - Loop said.
Baltasar kissed the top of Loop's head.
- Good cubbie! - he said.
Loop flushed under his fur.
You're really attracted to the little ones, are not you? - Loop said. - Look, I do not swing that side...
All right, I can respect that - Baltasar said.
Silence for a few seconds.
- But can you put me down, for God's sake? - Loop said.
Baltasar puts Loop on the floor. The rabbit goes to his room and enters.
- Good morning! - he says.
All cubs immediately pay attention.
Are not you the new student? - Says Henrique.
I'm not a student, I'm a teacher, no joke. - Loop replies. - I have the class diary to prove it.
Dammit! Are you a teacher? How old are you?
I am thirteen.
Murmurs pass through the room.
Anyway - said Loop. - Lets go to what matters. I'm going to teach biology to you.
What are you talking about? - Said Sheila. - Seriously. You are almost our age and you are a teacher. I doubt you have been invested.
I can call Cid here and he'll explain. But if you prefer it that way, I do not demand that you pay attention. But be a good boy and be at least silent.
I'm a girl - Sheila said.
Loop narrowed his eyes and concentrated, looking at Sheila.
- Wow, you look like a boy ... - Loop commented. - Well, enough talk.
Sheila looked in another direction, not wanting to cooperate.
All right - Loop said, an hour after class started. - that's how babies are made.
What an ass - said Sheila. - Everyone here knows that. No one here is innocent.
Loop raised an eyebrow and looked at Sheila.
Listen, what's your problem? - he asked.
What is yours? - replied Sheila. - You should be in this room as a student. I do not accept to take lessons from someone just four years older.
Loop pointed to the door.
Go home then - he said. - But bring your parents with you next time.
And who's going to make me bring my parents? - Sheila insisted.
Listen, you know what? Say what you want.
Sheila wanted to say something, but she did not know what. She silenced again. Meanwhile, Henrique ate some French fries in the classroom. Loop saw. Henrique was sheepish and put away the fries.
- Relax - Loop said. - I do not forbid my students to eat during my lesson, provided they do so in silence. Which reminds me: if you want to talk, do it by wirtten messages, deal?
Henrique blinked twice.
- OK! - he said.
Henry immediately prepared a note, which he handed to Sheila. The monkey took the note and read. "Do you want flomp in the playground?" Sheila wrote something back and sent it to Henrique. "Go fuck yourself."
Vitória was watching Loop. At one point, Loop noticed and smiled at the pupil. Vitória blushed, but kept the pose. She did not even look away, not to show that she had been embarrassed by the smile. Loop turned to the blackboard and wrote again, sometimes having to climb onto the chair.
- I could teach better than this - Vitória said.
Because the students were passing notes to each other, and because Loop was writing on the board the moment Vitória spoke, that was the only voice heard in the room. Everyone looked at Vitória, including Loop.
- Sexual education is easy - she continued. - I could teach better than that.
Loop smiled at Vitória and turned to her. Vitória did not expect Loop to smile.
- All right, come here - Loop said.
Vitória did not move, she continued to look at Loop with an ugly face and crossed arms. Loop smiled sympathetically at Vitória and wrote again on the board. Vitória did not know how to react to that ....
Vitória looks in another direction, resting her chin on her paw. She wanted to respond to the offense, but could not find the answer. "Why did it have to be a male?" She thought, "Even more so young! This is unacceptable...."
"I should go and give sex education on my own, but ..." Vitória hesitated. She had no qualifications and did not know the school's administrative rules. She could be penalized, speak some bullshit or pose as an idiot.
As Loop explained the content, Vitória began to notice the little adult's voice. His voice was very masculine, when puberty allowed him to speak as a man rather than a boy. The appearance also attracted and his size allowed him to sit on the table, putting himself above the students, but still in a relaxed. He seemed confident and, so far, did not care about student behavior, as long as such behavior did not disturb the class. And perhaps because the control was not so strenuous, the lesson was better, compared to the classes given by more strict teachers. There were no parallel conversations because note exchange was allowed. And somehow, the students who ate during class paid more attention. Vitória saw that Loop was different and there was something interesting about it. But she did not let that feeling show ...
During recess, Sheila walked around the playground, looking for Vitória. After a few minutes, she stopped and sat down at the table. She thought about that teacher and how much Vitoria was looking at him during class. Vitória didn't usually stare at boys, specially when boys are invested with authority. "Where did she go?" Sheila thought. In fact, Vitória was behind the school, sitting, thinking. For some reason, Loop filled her thoughts. She did not know why. She did not even like his looks. She did not like Loop at all. Despite this, she could not stop thinking about the moment Loop challenged her to teach, and she was not able to respond as she always did.
- Something wrong? - Loop asked, interrupting Vitória's thought.
Vitória was startled, but did not let it show. She looked at Loop.
No - she said, looking away.
Look, I'm sorry if I did something wrong during class - Loop said. - It was my first time, you know?
Vitória was angry at those words, but she restrained herself.
Don't lie to me - she said. -; No one goes so well in the first class.
I figured you'd say that - Loop said, sitting down beside her.
She insisted on looking the other way.
Are you going to play "show and tell" with me, you naughty boy? - Vitória asked, sarcastically.
Only if I wanted to lose my job - Loop said. - I just came here because I saw you were kind of offended.
So you noticed?
Of course.
Vitória felt that she liked the presence of Loop, but she hated the fact that Loop seemed to sound superior in every damn phrase. Vitória wasn't sure if it was just her paranoia about boys or if Loop was really trying to piss her off, deliberately.
If I had studied, I could have taught it - said Vitória.
Of course - Loop said. - You know, giving class is not merely a matter of knowledge, but of practice, of ease.
Vitória again was a victim of Loop's almost puerile voice.
You can do that someday - Loop said.
Five years from now, like you did? - Vitória asked sarcastically, still not looking at Loop.
If you have talent.
She looks at Loop, but can not make a face enraged enough to intimidate Loop.
- Sorry if I offended you - Loop said, looking Vitória in the eyes.
Vitória sighs and says low:
I do not like people like you.
Like me? - Loop asks.
Males. Boys, men.
Well, at least I will never harm you.
Loop had good looks, good voice and docile personality. Vitória felt she could make an exception for Loop. She sighs and does not answer any more, needing to think about it. The bell rings. Vitória rises and silently returns to the classroom, leaving Loop alone.
In the classroom, while waiting for Cid to arrive, Vitória is thinking of what Loop said. "I should have given that lesson ..." She then realized that Loop was taking up too much space in her thoughts. She tried to push Loop away from her mind. However, Loop was proving to be extremely intrusive ... Vitória tried, but could not get neither Loop, nor the teasing, out of her head.
"I'll sabotage his next class," Vitória thinks. "Does he think that he can seduce me with his conversation? Watch and weep." Vitória had not noticed that she was already seeing Loop's acts as seduction. Cid's class begins, but Vitória does not pay attention.